HPD shouldn't complain about no overtime pay
Police personnel are reacting to no overtime pay by saying, "Comp time can't buy any groceries." These police officers have good-paying jobs. They are the same officers who give out citations to the poor -- who can't even afford to get safety checks.HPD officers don't care about how the poor with either low-paying jobs or no jobs are going to have the money to pay their fines. They certainly won't have much left to "buy any groceries."
Police don't have a clue about other people's problems.
Ken Chang
Kaneohe
Others besides big retailer are having financial woes
There are similarities and differences between the failure of my business, a taxicab service, and the failure of Liberty House.First the similarities: 1) Both of us failed to keep our businesses profitable. 2) Our failures were caused by external factors (such as the weak economies of the state and in Asia). 3) We were ruined by heavy overheads.
The two main differences: 1) Liberty House has 3,800 employees; my business had only one, myself. 2) The retailer's failure has been noticed throughout the state; Governor Cayetano says Liberty House's situation underscores the need to improve the islands' business climate. However, no one else except my wife realized that my business had melted away. She silently cried.
Governor Cayetano may think Liberty House's failure is more important than mine, and many people may share his feelings. But I believe that when a man cannot support himself and his family with 35 hours of work, seven days a week, like I always did, some wrongdoing in government has got to be the cause.
Anthony Tam
State is starting to look like epic ship catastrophe
Like the Titanic, the state of Hawaii is sinking. Instead of making the ship lighter by dumping dead weight (state employees), and trying to keep it afloat, the governor is determined to let the ship sink with all bodies aboard.The governor doesn't have the wisdom or the courage to do what he knows should be done -- cut the dead weight and save the ship.
Donald Allen
There's no justification for crime against tourists
I was shocked by the March 20 letter to the editor by Eric Po'ohina that appeared to condone stealing from Japanese tourists, providing the crime benefits the "local" economy. Apparently, Po'ohina has no clue as to the current state of the economy, so perhaps I can educate him a bit:1) Our economy sucks, in part, because of a downturn in the Japanese economy.
2) The reputation of Hawaii as a visitor destination has been damaged in Japan by unending reports of attacks and thefts by locals in Hawaii.
3) Those visitors from Japan who do come here, despite the aforementioned points 1) and 2), keep hotel workers employed!
Robert Bornheimer
More must be printed about rising sea levels
Congratulations on your March 18 story concerning historic sea levels. It did a good job of depicting the impact of rises in the sea level on the islands.Unfortunately, you didn't make the connection between global warming and rising sea levels.
Regrettably, you also missed an opportunity to cover the remarks of Nobel laureate F. Sherwood Rowland, who gave an insightful lecture the previous evening at the University of Hawaii's Kennedy Theatre on atmospheric change.
Byron W. Baker
Legislator talks out of both sides of his mouth
How many Terry Toms are there on this crazy island, anyway? I know of one who takes $48,000 a year from the Bishop Estate trustees and he did not let them down. Now I read a March 19 letter to the editor from another Terry Tom. This Terry Tom says it has always been the goal of his House Judiciary Committee to keep big donations from being made to politicians.What? A $48,000 annual "donation" to Chairman Tom (to do nothing) isn't a big donation? This is really freaky. I don't think these two Terry Toms even know each other.
Let's hope that the voters will finally recognize that one Terry Tom in the Legislature is "two" many.
Joseph F. Zuiker
Bishop Estate Archive
Hong Kong's transit is better than Honolulu's
I wish that everyone stuck in the St. Patrick's Day rush-hour traffic could have been with me on the Hong Kong transit system last week. Its rapid-moving and frequent-running subway network serves all of the major population areas on both sides of the harbor, runs under the harbor and will soon service the new airport.Along with buses, streetcars, taxis, ferries, hydrofoils, the Peak tram and even escalators above the streets throughout the Central district, Hong Kong's extremely efficient transit system moves a population several times the size of Oahu's.
If the proposed GET increase were earmarked solely for the development of a rapid transit system that would measurably improve the quality of life for Oahu's commuters, perhaps it would be more palatable to the public.
Our media should query each legislator and City Council member for his or her position on funding a comprehensive light-rail network and make those positions known to voters. It's time to remove the quibblers and elect some doers.
Frank Genadio
Kapolei
Gambling will lead to the downfall of Hawaii
Never legalize gambling! Avarice is the root of all evil. A few will succeed but the majority will fail.That majority must survive, so being destitute, they will take the easy way out, which is crime. It will run rampant, which will chase innocent visitors out of this hell hole, never to return. Is that what you want for this paradise?
Ken Toyama
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